We have enough problems fighting those that want us out of business without fighting our own industry. It was very discouraging for Shawn Schaffer, Laurie Seale, Cliff Shipley, and I to travel to Florida, to help our industry and to help some Florida breeders who want free trade, to have to listen to the representatives from NRA and HSUS spread their lies and half truths. It was even worse to have deer breeders such as Irving Roberts, Donnie Young, and FDA Vice President Phillip Bryant stand up and support the position of HSUS and NRA for closure of the borders with the pretense of protecting the wild whitetail populations and at the same time knowing these breeders and others have brought hundreds of deer into Florida to develop their own herds. The FDA lobbyist even testified that NADEFA should stay out of Florida. Others who testified for closed borders also said that all out of state breeders testifying should stay out of the state of Florida and that it was obvious only those out of state breeders testifying for open borders were from endemic states who only wanted to sell their deer.
After the vote was taken and the border closure was passed unanimously there was a round of applause from the FDA members who were present in the audience. How disheartening was this for those of us who traveled long distances and attempted to help this industry?
